Wall hanger



July 3, 1951 H, w, WEST 2,559,099

WALL HANGER Filed March 24, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z C J A JNVENTOR.

HALSTEAD W.WEST

v BY

9 flmm WfiM ATTORNEYS H. w. WEST July 3, 1951 WALL HANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1948 FIG.6.

FIG.9.

FIGJO.

INVENTOR.

HAL STEAD W. WEST mail, @QMMML ATTOR N EYS i atented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The invention relates to wall hangers such as are used for the mounting of pictures, mirrors, etc., on walls. It is the object of the invention to obtain a simple construction of hanger which, in addition to suspending the picture, will hold the same in vertical position.

It is a further object of the invention to obtain a construction which is also useful in supporting a wall bracket and securely attaching the same to the wall. With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the cooperating members forming my improved wall hanger;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section showing a picture frame secured in position on the wall;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the cooperating members of the hanger in engagement with each other;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified construction of detachable element to be used for supporting a heavy article such, for instance, as a mirror;

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 2 with the construction shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical section illustrating a bracket engaged with the wall member.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating another modification;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation thereof; and

Fig. 10 is an end elevation.

As above described it is one of the objects of the invention to hold the supported article in vertical position, as well as supporting the weight thereof. This is accomplished by forming the member which is permanently attached to the wall with a vertical guide for the detachable member holding the same from any relative angular movement. Both of these members are also provided with means for preventing any angular movement of the same with respect to the member on which each is mounted. As illustrated in Fig. 1, A is the member permanently attached to the wall and B is the member attached to the picture or other article and which is detachably engageable with the member A. These members are so fashioned that one provides a vertical guide for the other so that when engaged they are held from relative angular movement. Preferably the member A is of channel form and the member B is a strip slidably engaging said channel. The member A is further provided with a resilient strip C arranged within the channel and secured in its lower portion to the web thereof. The upper end of the member 0 is outwardly flared to form a guide for inserting the member B into the channel. The member C is secured to the member A preferably by a hollow rivet D, which also forms an aperture through which a screw El may be inserted for securing the member A to the wall. The lower end of the member C has an inwardly extending angle portion F provided with sharpened prongs F which are pressed inward into the wall. Thus, when secured by the screw E, the member A is held against any angular movement on the wall and the channel forms a vertically extending guide. The member B has near its upper end an aperture B for receiving a screw G, which attaches it to the picture frame H or other article to be supported. There are also sharpened inwardly extending prongs I formed by an angle portion I at the upper end of the member B. These together with the screw G hold the member B from angular movement with respect to the article to which said member is attached. For locking the member B and A to each other, the former has arranged near its lower end a pintle J for engaging an aperture K in the web of the channel member. This pintle extends inward or towards the wall so that when the member B is inserted between the flaring upper end 0 of the member C and the channel, it may be moved downward until the pintle J registers with the aperture K whereupon the resiliency of the member C will force said pintle into said aperture. However, the member B may be readily disengaged by pulling its upper end slightly outward against the yielding member C until the pintle clears the aperture.

The construction as thus far described is adapted for supporting picture frames if not too heavy, but for weightier objects such as large frame, mirrors, etc., I preferably employ the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this the detachable member L has a return bent portion L which is insertable between the web of the channel and the resilient member C. It is also provided with a pintle J similar to that used on the construction previously described. The main portion of the member L is secured to the back of the picture or other article by screws engaging apertures M and M near its upper and lower ends. To provide access for the upper screw the return bent portion L' has a registering aperture L of somewhat larger diameter through which a screw driver may be inserted.

Where it is desired to support a bracket, the detachable member N is of right angle form, one flange thereof engaging the channel member and being provided with a pintle corresponding to J while the other flange extends outward and rests upon the member C. With all of the modifications the engagement between the two cooperating members is one which prevents any relative angular movement so that the supported member will be vertically positioned and held in such position as long as the cooperating members are engaged.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive, the channel member A has portions of the flanges thereof near the lower end severed from the remaining portions and bent to embrace the lower portion of the member B as shown at A together without the necessity of using the hollow rivet. Another modification shown in these same This secures these two. members;

aligned apertures B in the member B and channel prongs F similar to the prongs F are formed at the lower end of the member 13 and are turned inward to be embedded in the wall to hold the channel from turning.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A wall hanger, comprising a channel member for permanent attachment to the wall with the channel thereof extending vertically, a resilient strip within said channel having its lower portion secured thereto and provided at its lower end with a prong for insertion in the wall to hold said member from angular movement thereon, and a member for supporting the article to be hung detachably engaging the channel of said channel member between the latter and said resilient strip.

2. A wall hanger, comprising a channel member for permanent attachment to the wall with the channel thereof extending vertically, a resilient strip within the channel of said channel member having its lower portion secured to the latter and also provided at its lower end with an inwardly extending prong for engagement with the wall to hold said channel member from anguu lar movement thereon, the upper end of said resilient strip being outwardly flared, and a member for supporting the article to be hung having a portion engageable between the flared upper end of said resilient strip and said channel member for insertion in the channel of the latter, said portion having a detent engageable with a recess in said channel member to lock the same together said detent being releasable from said recess by an outward pull on said last-mentioned member and flexing of said resilient strip.

3. A wall hanger, comprising a channel member having its web portion bearing against the wall and its flanges extending outward therefrom, a resilient strip within saidchannel, portions of said flanges atfthe lower ends thereof being bent inward to embrace and clamp said strip to hold the same leaving the upper portion of said strip free, and a cooperating member for supporting the article to be hung having a tongue for insertion in said channel between the web thereof and said strip.

4. Inawall hanger a channel member having its web portion bearing against the wall and its flanges extending outward therefrom, a resilient strip within said channel, said flanges having lower portions thereof bent inward to embrace and clamp said strip and the lower end of saidstrip having sharpened prongs bent inwardfor embedding in the wall, the upper end of said strip being flared outward, a loop in said strip between the lower clamped portion thereof and the upperportion, said loop having an inclined upper portion with an aperture therein for receiving a nail. said channel being also apertured for the passage of said nail when in inclined position whereby said nail forms a securing means for the channel.

5. A hanger comprisinga .channel member for attachment to a supporting surface, a resilient strip within the channel having a portion there'- of secured to said'member, a member having a tongue portioninsertable between saidresilient strip and channel member, and a detenton one of said members engageable with a recess in the other to lock said members from disengagement, being releasable by springing outward said resilient member.

HAL'STEAD W. WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 266,446 Eager Oct. 24, 1882 327,939 Garrison l Oct. 6, 1885 519,427 Groff May 8, 1894 661,986 Heizer Nov. 20, 1900 813,537 Townsend Feb. 27, 1906 1,209,184 Markwell- Dec-19, 1916 1,246,749 Joiner; Nov. 13, 1917 1,339,288 Richards May- 4, 1920 

